Why Greeley Unexpected?
In all corners of the city, people
are saying they’re tired of
old Greeley stereotypes and
misperceptions and want to do
something about them.
So a new effort, supported by
Greeley city government, the
Greeley Chamber of Commerce/
Visit Greeley, University of
Northern Colorado, Aims

Community College, The Tribune
and others, is focusing on
the idea that Greeley and its
residents have much to offer
that is absolutely positive. For
people who already know this,
it’s old news; for others, the idea
of an image campaign might be
surprising.
Greeley Unexpected is a great
way to tell the city’s story

Deliciously Unexpected
Roger Brindisi
Crêpe Master

C

ooking has always been
a passion of Roger’s,
going back even before
the days when, as a biologist
specializing in human anatomy, he
regularly performed dissections for
postmortem studies. Though he has
no formal training as a chef, he’s
pretty good with knives—and has a
rather large Italian family. “In Italy,” he
explains. “Everyone is an exquisite
cook.”
Café Panache, located on
10th Street in downtown Greeley, is
modeled after the Parisian eateries
Roger frequented when he lived near
Luxembourg City, just an afternoon’s
train ride from the French capital. “It
was never anything extraordinary,”
he says. “Just carefully prepared,
simple food.” And art, of course;
Café Panache likewise displays
works from a number of local artists.
Roger and his wife Margaret
came to the area from Denver nearly
10 years ago, choosing to stay in
part because, as artists themselves,
they saw Greeley as a blank
canvas. “There’s a lot of unrealized
potential here,” he says. “So much
talent, so much that’s creative and
interesting—particularly downtown,
which has improved quite a bit in
the last few years. You have to be
adventurous to find it. Hopefully,
we’re doing our part to make it
easier.”

with residents who exemplify
what is unique and interesting
about Greeley—in fact, what is
surprising and unexpected. The
campaign springs, in part, from
research that shows when people
visit Greeley, they’re pleasantly
surprised. They find that the
community is much bigger, more
diverse and more appealing than
what they ever imagined.

The campaign is fun, positive,
diverse and unexpected. And it
gives everyone something new
and different to think and say
about Greeley.
Connect with the campaign at
www.greeleyunexpected.com.

We are a your locally owned, locally controlled
American cooperative ready to deliver agronomy,
automotive, energy, feed, retail and turf products
and services to our customers. We are small
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customers’ needs.

t was the typical boy-meets-girl
story. Except that, while the girl
was a biology student at the
University of Northern Colorado, the
boy was busy sculpting aliens—and
a whole host of other not-of-thisworld life forms.
Ed and Marsha Edmunds turned
their mutual love for the artistic
and imaginative from a one-room
operation into a warehouse full
of “designers, artists, carpenters,
sculptors, painters, pourers,
patchers, seamers, welders,
woodworkers, mold makers,
sprayers, shippers, seamstresses,
cutters, electricians, assemblers,
managers, and office staff”—all
working together to create some of
the scariest monsters, apparitions,
and animatronic nightmares in the
dark amusement industry. So much
so that the Travel Channel series
Making Monsters has made them TV
stars.
But why Greeley? Why not Los
Angeles or New York or Chicago?
Marsha’s quick to point out that
Greeley embraced them since day
one. And that the local talent pool is
deep. And that, not unlike Distortions
Unlimited’s creations, there’s
much, much more to their beloved
home town than meets the eye.
“If people would just take the time
to experience Greeley,” she says,
“they’d understand.”

Something to
Brag About!

The Milken Institute ranked the Greeley MSA 42nd out of the 200 largest metro areas in
the U.S. for creating/sustaining jobs and economic growth.
Greeley is home to the largest solar farm in Weld County; other locations are planned,
including the Family FunPlex.
MSA = metropolitan statistical area (all of Weld County)

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reeley native Ryan Mayeda
owns his own chiropractic
business. The Chamber
of Commerce named him Young
Entrepreneur of the year. He’s
a member of the city’s planning
commission and served on the North
Colorado Medical Center (Greeley’s
regional hospital) board of trustees.
And he celebrated his 30th birthday
by completing an Ironman triathlon.
Clearly, he’s a driven person.
Which might explain his response
to years of expensive infertility
treatments for his wife Kim, the
inexplicable death of their six-day-old
daughter Kyla, and two unsuccessful
adoption attempts that left the couple
not only devastated, but also broke:
he started a nonprofit foundation.
Determined that no other couple
should walk down a similarly “difficult
and lonely road” without help, Ryan
and Kim established Kids for Kyla
to fund grants toward helping other
couples pay for adoption fees and
infertility treatments.
But Ryan doesn’t necessarily
see it as his own accomplishment.
To him, Greeley deserves a lot of
the credit. “There’s a real sense
of community here,” he says.
“Everyone’s like family. And it’s
that connection—and really, the
unbelievable generosity of the people
who live here—that enabled us to
truly make a difference.”
Ryan pictured
with daughter Makyla

Something to
Brag About!

The Greeley Philharmonic, one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the nation, just
celebrated its 100th season.
Relay for Life held in Greeley is ranked first in overall participation and dollars raised
among all Relay events in Colorado.

At UNC, education
can be found in
unexpected places.
Virginia Jimenez

THEATRE EDUCATION STUD

ENT

At UNC, education can be found in unexpected places.
Whether it’s traveling to locations like the Yucatan or Ghana for a summer
learning experience, or meeting with the Greeley community for research and
service opportunities, UNC students are engaged in the community and giving
back to the world around them. That’s because a hands-on education gives
students the experiences to not only succeed and follow their dreams, but also
to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors—locally and globally.

QA
&

with Sarah MacQuiddy
President Greeley Chamber of Commerce

Q: We know that perceptions
of Greeley are still based on
misperceptions and old stereotypes.
Is Greeley ready to change that
image?
A: I believe so—every conversation we
have with our members includes talk about
Greeley as a great place to do business.
Their concerns stem from our tradition of
being our own worst enemy. The time is now
to capitalize on the positive momentum we’re
seeing in our community.
The same goes for visitors. Negative
comments often come from people
who’ve never been to Greeley. In research
conducted in late 2011, once visitors
came to Greeley, their perceptions of our
community were 100 percent positive. As
Greeley grows, it’s important to maintain
the hometown feel and friendly, welcoming
attitude.

Q: The Chamber of Commerce is
an advocate for local businesses.
How can an image initiative help
businesses?
A: Companies that are here like doing
business in Greeley. They appreciate the
quality of life and community amenities
afforded their employees. The image
campaign will create a greater understanding
of who we are, and allow us to differentiate
Greeley from Anytown, USA.

Q: Is there a positive
spin-off effect for the rest
of the community?
A: When businesses and their employees feel
good about their community, they become
ambassadors to carry the good news to the
rest of the citizens. Showcasing Greeley’s
unique characteristics through a deep

understanding of our community’s culture lets
us seize a great opportunity. The character
and quality of our community are more
important than ever for companies considering
locating here. The more people who
appreciate our community and what it has to
offer can help “sell” us to decision-makers.

Q: Is there a role for businesses that
would like to support the initiative?
A: You bet! Shared ownership of the
messages produces greater outcomes. I hope
that businesses will share positive community
news with their employees to help them build
awareness and appreciation for Greeley. If
the company produces a newsletter for its
employees, the marketing concepts from
Greeley Unexpected can make great content.
The City of Greeley devotes a section of
its website to good news about Greeley–
businesses can print out the Great Greeley
information and post it in the break room.

Q: You’re a leader for the Greeley
Great Group. How does that
grass-roots type of organization
help the campaign and vice versa?
A: I think we complement each other quite
well. We’re all about good news and sharing
that through community ambassadors.
Highlighting unique characteristics of Greeley
helps more people understand who we
are. Our history, arts, and events are all key
components in the creation of our city in
2013. Working collaboratively, we can have a
one-stop location for good news. “Something
to Brag About” is a partnership with the
Greeley Great Group, the City of Greeley and
The Tribune. Our Visit Greeley staff members
compile the information for this daily feature
in The Tribune.

Q: The Chamber of Commerce has
supported the campaign development
and the GGG initiative. Tell us how.
A: The Greeley Chamber of Commerce
conducted more than 300 face-to-face
interviews with its members during 2011
and 2012. Four priorities emerged from
those conversations, one of which was
community image. At the same time, the City
of Greeley identified community image as a
top priority. Wanting to assure we maximized
our efforts, the Chamber invested financial
resources to support the development of a
long-term marketing initiative. This initiative
sought to create and disseminate messages
to overcome old stereotypes and promote
positive community amenities. It was
also critical to bring together other major
community marketing partners.
Reviewing, identifying, and mapping out our
community strengths allowed us to create
a greater vision than any one organization
could have. Working collaboratively allows us
the opportunity to leverage all our resources
for greater economic and community benefit.

Q: We often hear community leaders
talk about a call to action. In just a
few words, give us your top picks for
how everyone can take action to help
improve Greeley’s image.
A: Attend a community event or get involved
in a non-profit, including education or a city
board or commission. A healthy community
is one where people are involved in creating
it. Jamie Vollmer, an education advocate
we brought to Greeley last year, talked
about shifting attention to the positive.
When we focus on the positive, we can be
more productive. Every community has its
challenges – the difference is how they talk
about it. We need to create a new language
to tell Greeley’s great story—and teach it to
everyone in town.

“

As Greeley grows, it’s
important to maintain
the hometown feel
and friendly,
welcoming attitude.

hey’ve lived in London,
Paris, Brussels, Athens,
Tokyo, and Lagos. And
Columbus, Indiana. So how did
a pair of British expatriates land
in northern Colorado? “We didn’t
choose Greeley,” explains Stephanie
Boulton. “Greeley chose us.”
It’s perhaps a little more
accurate to say that it was the
former Sod Buster Inn, a bed and
breakfast on 9th Avenue near
downtown Greeley, that chose the
Boultons. Avid skiers and cyclists,
Stephanie and her husband Derek
had spent weeks looking for a
business opportunity in a state
they’d only recently fallen in love
with. When the Greeley landmark
went on the market, they seized the
opportunity, purchasing the property
and renaming it the Currier Inn after
one of the town’s first settlers.
Being the proprietors of a
popular bed and breakfast puts the
Boultons in a unique position to hear
first-hand what visitors to the area
think. “Our guests love Greeley,”
says Stephanie. “And why shouldn’t
they? Everything you need is right
here—in a town small enough to still
be friendly.”
“The first week we were here,”
adds Derek, “there were people
stopping in, welcoming us and
offering best wishes. Think that
happens in London? Tokyo? Not a
chance.”

Something to
Brag About!

The Colorado Model Railroad Museum in Greeley is the largest model railroad museum
of its type in the U.S.
North Colorado Medical Center is consistently ranked in the top 100 hospitals in the
nation as well as in the top 5% for patient care.

HERE FOR
COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES
AND BUSINESSES.

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Knowing the best care you could hope for is located just a few miles away
comes as a huge relief for residents of northern Colorado. Especially when
you consider that only the top 2% of the country’s 4,500 hospitals received
such recognition. And only one, North Colorado Medical Center, received
this honor in northern Colorado. That sort of kudos, so close by, will surely
reduce your stress level. And that’s a healthy thing.
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United Way of Weld County
Our mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.

The results were aligned
with United Way’s 2008
announcement:
the building blocks for
a good quality of life
are Education, Income
and Health.

In 2006, United Way of
Weld County conducted
a community needs
assessment in
collaboration with
the University of
Northern Colorado.

in 2012, United Way of Weld County funded or produced nearly a hundred programs and services
helping nearly 1 in 3 people in Weld county in the areas of Education, Income and Health...

EDUCATION

Helping ensure children are
prepared to succeed in school and
youth graduate

INCOME

Helping families become
financially stable and
independent

HEALTH

Supporting the promotion of
wellness, to improve the health of
people of all ages

WE CAN’T DO IT ALONE
With a great community and collaborations, we are making strides.
But there is more work to be done.
We invite you to be a part of the
change. You can give, you can advocate, or you can volunteer. That’s
what it means to LIVE UNITED.

It matters which emergency care you choose.
If you want to keep your treatment close to home, it matters which emergency care you choose. Banner North
Colorado Emergency Care in west Greeley gives you convenient access to top expertise and advanced technology
24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. And, if you need to be admitted, you’ll be able to stay close to home and receive
treatment at North Colorado Medical Center. So the next time an emergency happens, keep your care close and get
to Banner North Colorado Emergency Care.

How well do you
know Greeley,
Colorado?
Let’s bust some myths
about the city...
Greeley’s a small town, right? Not so much anymore. The
population is currently over 95,000 and growing and the University
of Northern Colorado’s student population is about 12,500.
People refer to Greeley as a growing mid-size city with bigger city
amenities.
Feedlots in Greeley? A lot of people remember when there were
feedlots here. Those have been gone for 10 plus years.
Greeley is too small to have restaurant and shopping
choices. Greeley’s economy is in the midst of a boom which
means more restaurants have opened, more hotels are being built
and new businesses are locating downtown and in other retail
centers around the city. It’s not hard to find what you’re looking for.
Greeley is not safe. If you only catch the major media stories
about any city, you’ll see a lot of crime stories. But that doesn’t
tell the real story. Residents in Greeley enjoy a great quality of life
enhanced by the fact that crime rates are in a multi-year decline.
The cultural scene is anemic. Not true. The Greeley
Philharmonic, one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the nation,
just celebrated its 100th season; the new Creative District features
the people, galleries and venues that make Greeley’s creative class
glad they’re here, www.greeleycreativedistrict.org; the annual Jazz
Festival, Blues Jam, Arts Picnic, Greeley Stampede, Friday Fests
and the University of Northern Colorado attract and showcase local,
regional and national performers; the Union Colony Civic Center’s
1,665 seat main hall, 222 seat theater and Tointon Gallery are
celebrating their 25th year hosting local and internationally known
performances. The Moxi Theater, an all-ages venue, is now open
downtown complementing the Kress Cinema and Lounge indie art
theater. And yes, there’s more. A lot more.

Greeley Schools don’t have high achievers. Greeley schools
are incredible microcosms of the world. In fact, there are over 40
languages spoken in our public schools. That means there are a lot
of English language learners and a lot of cultures to explore, mingle
with and learn from. Did you know that Greeley schools rank alltime 4th for the number of Boettcher Scholars among Colorado’s
178 districts and that Greeley Central High ranks all time 2nd?
Students are achieving at all levels and the graduation rate exceeds
the state average. School choices are strong and award winning—
there are public, private, charters, a local online academy, as well
as 13 custom career path programs for engineering, medicine and
other areas.

Sharing Greeley’s Unexp

Greeley is So Unexp
Education

Our Great Outdoors

• Nationally recognized education at all levels: University of
Northern Colorado, Aims Community College, private training
schools, academies, and a variety of K-12 options
• Aims Community College offers more than 160 degree and
certificate programs and has the only aviation simulator in
Northern Colorado.
• UNC Bears - 2011 NCAA Big Sky Basketball Conference
Champions, 2011 Big Sky Conference Women’s Soccer
Co-Champions and 2011 & 2012 Big Sky Conference Volleyball
Champions
• School District 6 ranks all-time 4th for number of Boettcher
Scholars among all school districts in the state. Greeley Central
High ranks all-time 2nd overall
• 99.9% of District 6 teachers are rated by the Colorado
Department of Education
as “highly qualified”
• 97% of District 6 parents
are satisfied with their
child’s school
• District 6 graduation rates
for 2012 exceeded the
state average

• The Poudre River and Sheep Draw trails offer over 21miles of
running, walking, biking, and inline skating, as well as fishing,
canoeing and educational opportunities
• Over 40 neighborhood and community parks, open space areas,
two dog parks, special use parks and conservation areas
• Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area - the first heritage area
designated west of the Mississippi
• Tree City USA designation 33 years in a row. Greeley has
approximately 11,000 trees on City-owned and public
properties.
• Two public 18-hole golf courses - Highland Hills and Boomerang
Links, plus the Greeley Country Club
• Approximately 85 miles of in-town bike lanes - all part of
Greeley’s bikeway system

Did you Know?
University of Northern
Colorado Professor Stephen
Mackessy was featured
on the Discovery Channel
for his research on prairie
rattlesnakes.

Did you Know?
Ray Tschillard, founder
and director of the
Poudre Learning
Center, has won the
National Association of
Conservation District’s
Friend of Conservation
Award. Ray is credited
with taking the Poudre
Learning Center from a
mere idea to a thriving
science field-center in
Greeley.

There’s always more to
Greeley’s Creative District
A Renaissance of Creative Energy

A “Renaissance” best describes the climate
in Greeley’s budding Creative District—it’s a
blending of historic Downtown Development
and University Districts in a continuum of fun,
interesting and complementary uses by local
creatives, university students and residents at
large.
Sounds profound, because it is. The Greeley
Creative District (GCD), which encompasses
the city’s highest concentration of micro-

Supported by its three fo
the City of Greeley, Unive
Colorado and the Down
Authority, the GCD has e
profit organization with a
representing a cross-sec

tribune Community

For more information log on to gree

xpected!

You know what we mean, because you’ve seen that look of
disbelief. Like when you tell people (for starters!) that Greeley’s
not a little town, but a real city of over 95,000 residents.

Economic Development
Achievements

Healthy Living

• Emerging employment opportunities in agriculture,
transportation, energy and business services
• Over 40 new downtown businesses opened January 2010-April
2013 (net number of new businesses)
• Over $331 million in business investments in Greeley
from 2011-2013
• Greeley MSA ranked 2nd in the nation in job creation (Sept
2010-Sept 2011, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• Greeley offers some of the most affordable Front Range housing
opportunities from mansions to modest first-time homes

• Greeley was selected as one of the top 8 places to retire by
Where to Retire magazine
• North Colorado Medical Center is a nationally recognized,
award-winning hospital serving all of northeastern Colorado and
portions of other states
• Greeley is a safe city with a great quality of life. Crime rates are
in a multi-year decline due to our outstanding public safety
personnel

Did you
Know?
HealthGrades ranked
North Colorado
Medical Center as
one of America’s
100 Best Hospitals.
HealthGrades
evaluates the
performance of 4,500
hospitals nationwide
and ranked NCMC in
the top 2%.

Did you
Know?
Over 2,100 new jobs
were announced in
the city of Greeley
from 2011 to 2013.

e to brag about, visit www.GreeleyUnexpected.com.

mance venues, cultural
useums and mixed
ment, is undergoing a
citing momentum has also
n of the Colorado Creative
tion which named Greeley
tate-designated creative

ree founding partners,
University of Northern
Downtown Development
has evolved into a full nonwith a community board
s-section of Greeley’s

ity EVENTS

greeleytribune.com

creatives. The area’s vitality can also be
credited to the many patrons, volunteers,
businesses, artists, entertainers, and civic
organizations that are thriving and striving to
help this area of the city reach its potential.
Thousands already enjoy signature events
within the district, like the Arts Picnic,
Oktoberfest, Blues Jam, Farmers’ Market,
Greeley Stampede Parade, UNC/Greeley Jazz
Festival, the Greeley Philharmonic series and
much more. To learn more, enjoy the many
creative offerings, and help raise the level of
energy and activity in the District, visit
www.greeleycreativedistrict.org.

We’re using social media to celebrate Greeley Unexpected! The best way to get to know more
about Greeley is to talk with people who know it best—our community members who know
the latest and greatest places to eat, sleep, work, and play. Connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter, and YouTube to share and discover the Unexpected about our city.
Here’s how:

here does an awardwinning science fiction
author turn for inspiration?
“All the material you need to become
a writer,” says Connie Willis, “can
be found in a small town—look at
Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and
St. Mary Mead—or a church choir:
kindness, competitiveness, jealousy,
hatred, love, everything.”
Willis, who’s won an
unprecedented seven Nebula and 11
Hugo Awards, admits to a love affair
with Greeley. “Writers can live pretty
much anywhere,” she says. “And a
lot of them feel like they’ve got to be
in an urban center. But when you
live in a place like Greeley, you get
a different perspective. Trust me:
there’s nothing more alien or strange
than living in a small town. And
nothing more terrific.”
Writing daily at the Starbucks
near the University of Northern
Colorado campus, Willis finds the
regular interaction with farmers and
ranchers, realtors, college students,
Somali refugees, and Rotary Club
members enriching. “People are
really engaged here,” she says.
“You’ll run into someone who’s part
of the local Chautauqua, who’s also
working with a church group to put
on a cantata, who’s also a friend of
the library.” Big enough to be a city
yet small enough to be connected,
Willis adds, Greeley is “just right.”

Something to
Brag About!

Leprino Foods chose Greeley for one of its most technologically advanced cheese and
whey plants in the world creating over 400 new jobs.
JBS USA was awarded the McDonald’s 2012 “Best of Sustainable Supply” award for
water conservation and waste reduction.

t was a somewhat circuitous
route that brought James Hall
to Greeley. Growing up in
Sacramento, his education took him
north to Seattle, east to New York,
west to Kansas City, and, ultimately,
to the University of Northern
Colorado, the result of the school’s
national search for a flute professor.
In addition to teaching—which
takes him around the world—Hall
is a regular performer who has
premiered works of notable American
composers, served as principal
flutist with a number of orchestras
throughout the country, and, with
pianist Patricia Higdon, debuted at
Carnegie Hall in 2004.
It’s a dizzying résumé, made
all the more remarkable by the fact
that Hall isn’t simply biding his time
while he waits for a better gig. He
likes Greeley, and not just because
the UNC School of Music lends the
city no small amount of national
prestige. “Where you live is what you
make of it,” he says. “And Greeley
has an awful lot of potential.” Not
only are the people friendly and
accommodating, he says, but the
culture is open and accepting.
“It just feels good here,” he says.
“It’s a place where you can really
make a difference, whether it’s your
neighborhood, your school, or the
community itself.”

Something to
Brag About!

Weld County RSVP, based in Greeley, uses over 800 senior volunteers to provide over
140,000 hours of service annually.
Wes Tuttle, principal of McAuliffe Elementary School in Greeley, was named
administrator of the year for 2012 by the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented.

he term “free spirit” is
admittedly a bit overused, but
it’s perhaps the only way to
describe Ann Martinez. A graduate
of the art and design program at the
University of Northern Colorado, the
ink on her diploma was barely dry
before she began freelancing as a
graphic artist—leading her to forgo
a regular 9–5 job and start her own
design studio.
Drawn to belly dancing’s grace
and beauty, Ann took some lessons.
Turns out she was a natural, and
ended up teaching her own classes
and workshops. Today she’s part of
Tribe Sidysaan, a “belly dance fusion”
group that, in addition to traditional
Middle Eastern music, performs to
the likes of the Black Keys and the
B-52s. The most unexpected aspect,
she says, was the sisterhood she
found. “It’s amazing to have students
from 19 to 72 years old.”
Meanwhile, the artistic bent
that brought Ann to Greeley in the
first place is never idle, whether
it’s creating her Tribe Sidysaan
costumes or frequenting Greeley’s
Clay Center or simply enjoying
the work of the next generation of
up-and-coming artists. “There are so
many wonderful things to do here,”
she says, almost surprised that
someone wouldn’t know that. “But
the trick is you have to get off the
couch to experience them.”

Something to
Brag About!

Aims Community College was recognized by the National Board of Surgical Technology
and Surgical Assisting for a success rate of more than 90% on their certification exam.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UNC’s online Master of Education degree program
9th among 208 universities nationwide and 1st in Colorado.

QA
&

with The Greeley City Council

Q: Greeley City government changed
the way it communicates with
residents and others. Why does the
Council support that direction?
A: The Council looked at how we were
communicating and realized that while telling
people how their tax dollars are being used is
important, improving the community’s image
is critical. When we set “Image” as one of our
top 4 community priorities, we realized there
was something missing in the way we were
communicating and knew city government
needed to change in this area. Improving
our social media outreach, having existing
staff take on marketing and public relations
responsibilities, and helping the Council
reach out to the community are all part of the
initiative.
We support this because we think
perceptions are important and an improved
image for Greeley will help residents and
businesses succeed, and potentially help
attract new businesses and residents.
This initiative is not about promoting city
government; it’s about promoting the
community.

Q: Greeley now has an advertising
campaign. What is the goal of
Greeley Unexpected?
A: We want to give everyone, residents
and non-residents, something new and
different to think and say about Greeley.
The campaign is based, in part, on the
fact that when people come to Greeley or
do business with someone here they are
pleasantly surprised at what they find and
experience. The Unexpected concept gets it
right—it’s eye-catching and features our best
assets. By that we mean people who make
Greeley great.

Q: When the Council and staff
are talking to groups out in the
community, they mention resident
advocacy. What do you mean by
that?
A: Residents and businesses need to help
with this effort. Investing in a campaign can
only get us so far. We need ambassadors
and people selling all of Greeley’s great
attributes every day of the week. That kind
of communication is basically free, but adds
huge value to the message.

Q: Is resident advocacy really
that important?
A: It’s a necessity. Word of mouth is an
extremely powerful tool—it’s the way
information gets shared first-hand—it’s
not artificial, it comes across without any
spin. For example, if you share something
with a friend or neighbor, they’re going to
believe it because it comes from a trusted
source. We have a lot of bragging points
for people to share with residents and nonresidents. That’s one of the reasons for the
new GreeleyUnexpected.com website—so
people will have the tools and good, positive
information to share.

Q: How much is the campaign
costing this year and where is that
money coming from?
A: That’s an interesting question because
two developments in the budget are making
the initiative possible. With all the new
business activity in the city, the lodging tax
continues to come in ahead of projections—
that revenue is a good fit for the campaign
because it is restricted by law for community
marketing. That tax is paid by visitors when
they stay at a local hotel or motel. There’s

also some carryover funding that has been
identified. Those two sources provided
about $260,000 this first year to develop and
get the advertising campaign started. The
lodging tax is providing seed money for the
effort.

Q: Where and when will we see
the advertising?
A: Staff has put together a targeted
campaign. It’ll be focused on metro Denver
and the North Front Range. You’ll see
billboards, bus shelters, advertising in The
Tribune, at DIA and the 16th Street Mall in
Denver, on cable and broadcast TV channels
and radio spots. All this will happen over the
next 5 months.

Q: Will this be a one-year campaign?
A: We hope not. We know it’ll take a
substantial and sustained effort for several
years to achieve success. But again, it’s not
just the ad campaign. We need long term
resident advocacy and buy-in, in as many
ways as possible. Letters to the editor,
positive online posts, volunteers helping
with local events and in Greeley schools,
membership in the Chamber of Commerce,
shopping and dining at local businesses and
restaurants—whatever people, businesses
and organizations can do to improve the
community and communicate Greeley’s
positives is appreciated.

Q: If there’s a business or
organization that would like to learn
more, how can they get connected to
the Council for a presentation?
A: Contact Natalie in Public Information at
city hall, she’ll help get that set up. natalie.
stevens@greeleygov.com or 350-9204

orn in Sombrerete, Zacatecas,
Mexico, Armando Ivan Silva
Garcia arrived in northern
Colorado with his family when he
was just five. A product of Greeley
public schools, he earned a BA in
fine arts with a painting emphasis
from the University of Northern
Colorado in 2010—and decided
then and there that he would apply
himself completely to a career in
art. Which, in a city of fewer than
100,000, could charitably be referred
to as “optimistic.”
But then, Armando doesn’t
seem at all worried about the odds.
Instead of decamping to larger, more
urban locales (even though his work
has recently drawn the attention of
people from Boston to Los Angeles),
he’s decided to work hard on honing
his artistic skills in order to make
a name for himself in his adopted
home town. Why? “Greeley gives me
what every artist needs,” he explains,
“which is the chance to fail and make
mistakes without the usual recovery
time.”
Because of the built-in support
in the community, Armando gets
to participate in projects that, he
believes, enable him to leave a mark.
“The appreciation that people have
shown me in Greeley has inspired
me to become a better artist,” he
says. “I feel like I’m part of
something here.”

Something to
Brag About!

Greeley’s creative arts district was one of eight emerging districts designated in
Colorado.
Greeley’s High Plains public libraries offer traditional services as well as a wealth of
advanced online services.
There’s always more to brag about, visit www.GreeleyUnexpected.com.

For more information on how you can support the image campaign, contact Mayor Tom Norton at
tom.norton@greeleygov.com or John Pantaleo at john.pantaleo@greeleygov.com or 970-350-9702.